This invention relates to a method of practicing hygiene of the human nose and a composition for use in practice of the method of the invention.
In the United States and other so-called Western nations, nasal hygiene is rarely practiced as a daily or even frequent periodic routine. “Keeping one's nose clean” is usually understood metaphorically to mean the endeavor to avoid giving offense to others. In some parts of the world, nasal hygiene is as routine as brushing one's teeth.
There is still uncertainty of what might be used to accomplish effective nasal hygiene in a convenient and non-irritating way.
Plain water, the universal cleanser, turns out to be a poor choice. As pointed out by Douglas Hoffman MD, while salt solutions containing higher concentrations than body tissues (so-called hypertonic solutions) draw water out of the tissues, plain water has the opposite effect, entering the tissues and adding to the swelling pressure. Saline solutions, on the other hand, need careful regulation to avoid levels of salt that irritate healthy and particularly inflamed tissues.
In ear-nose-throat clinics, patients have had noses rinsed with dilute potassium permanganate solutions for disinfecting purposes. This procedure required using large volumes of rinse solution, and users underwent the inconvenience of catching and disposing of the spent solution after use.